


A Darker Take: Book One

by siriuslysnuffles



Series: A Darker Take [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: BAMF Harry Potter, BAMF Neville Longbottom, Dark, Dark Harry, Dark Lord Harry Potter, Dumbledore Bashing, Dumbledore Being a Dick, Hermione Granger Bashing, M/M, Minor Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood, Past Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Weasley Bashing, don't worry it's really brief
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-11-13 15:06:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11187657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siriuslysnuffles/pseuds/siriuslysnuffles
Summary: Harry Potter thought he had created the perfect life for himself; he thoroughly destroyed the Dark Lord at age seventeen, married the red-head of his dreams, and, after having three angelic children, became the poster family for blissful suburbia. Everything was coming up roses for the Potter-Weasley family. Until it wasn’t. After discovering Ginny in bed with another, Harry decides it’s time for a re-do, and this time, the light is going to be short a hero.





	1. What the Hell Ginny?

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: if you recognize it, I don't own it! This is my first fic, so please be nice! Hopefully this will end up being a nice, complete, novel length series, if not, I'm sorry. Also, this is completely un-beta'd, so all mistakes are my own!

Chapter One: What the Hell Ginny?

 

Harry stood leaning against his desk, absently twirling his wand and sending his scattered possessions flying into his bag. It was nearing 5’ o clock, and the monotony of the day left him yearning for home.

“Hey mate!” Ron called, as he breezed into their shared office.

“Hey..” Harry replied, eyes following the progress of his papers more than that of his friend.

“Leaving so soon?”

“Yeah!” at this, Harry brightened, “The kids get back tomorrow so I figured I’d get home early and help Ginny with the tree.”

“Ahh.. You sure that’s good idea? You know how Ginny feels about surprises,” Ron chuckled nervously.

“It’ll be fine, I do live there you know, me being home hardly counts as a surprise,” Pausing, Harry gave Ron an assessing look, “Are you feeling alright? You look a bit peakish.”

“Probably just left over from that curse Dolohov threw earlier, nasty bugger, that one,” at this, Ron straightened up and threw what he hoped was an encouraging smile in Harry’s direction.

“Alright then, mate. Take care of yourself, and give my love to ‘Mione!” He then turned, and headed towards the atrium, eager to floo home.

Once he was gone, Ron murmured to himself, “Surely she isn't that dim, she must have sent him home by now, right?”

—————

Harry exited the floo into the downstairs lounge of his house, barely avoiding stumbling onto the plush rug draped near the hearth.

“Ginny? I’m home!”

Hearing no response, and deciding she was likely just napping upstairs, as she tended to do in the late afternoons, he headed up towards the master bedroom.

Harry opened the door to the bedroom, expecting to see his wife napping peacefully under their thick duvet, however what he actually saw was very different. 

Ginny wasn't napping at all, rather, she was gleefully riding Dean Thomas’ thick cock, moaning each time he thrust into her.

After a brief moment of shock, Harry exclaimed the only thing which came to mind;

“What the fuck, Ginny?!”

At this, she gasped, rolling off of Dean and pulling the sheets up to cover the both of them.

“I-I can explain! Harry I swear it isn’t what it looks like!” Ginny leaned towards where he stood, still clutching the sheets close to her, as Dean looked at Harry, shocked, and gaping like a fish. 

“I don’t really care for your explanations at the moment, Ginny…” Harry murmured, the items in the room began to shake and rattle as Harry’s magic seeped from his body, his anger causing his normally strict control to waver.

“Look, mate-“ Dean began, only to stop as the rattling became more violent.

“Harry! Please! You’re scaring me!” Ginny pleaded, face paling as she realized the potential repercussions of her husbands anger.

“Ginerva Potter nee Weasley, I hereby declare our marriage null and void, and cast you from the House of Potter,” Harry began, voice barely audible in the chaos of the room, “… So mote it be.”

At this, all of the objects in the room stilled, halting quickly once Harry gained control of his rampant magic.

“H-Harry… Please…” Ginny sobbed, “W-what a-about the k-kids?”

“They deserve better than you,” Harry whispered venomously, as he turned sharply towards the door, “So do I.”

 

—————

 

Harry apparated directly into the auror training room at the ministry, unwilling to spend anymore time than necessary in the house he had shared with that cheating bitch. He paced back and forth on the slightly padded ground, slowly unleashing his magic to do as it pleased.

He hardly noticed as the contents of the room began to swirl around him, carried by the furious strands of his magic.

“i can’t believe she would do the to me… After all these years…” Harry murmured to himself, as his magic became increasingly rambunctious. 

“How am I supposed to be a single father? How am i supposed to explain this to them?” His voice was now taking on a more panicked quality, as the reality of the situation set in.

“Lily adores her! She will hate me, she’ll think it’s my fault….” At this, he dropped to his knees, fear overwhelming him as he realized just what the sudden annulment of his marriage would entail. He pressed his clenched fists against the floor, his knuckles whitening with the pressure. He knew his kids loved him, but how could he possibly explain why their mother and father were happily married one day, and divorced the next? How could he tell an eleven year old girl, who, quite frankly, idolized Ginny, about the sins of her mother? 

Harry slowly sank deeper and deeper into his thoughts, not noticing as his magic gently cocooned him, before sinking into his skin, leaving him glowing a shimmering silver, before he vanished.

The Harry that defeated Voldemort and became the Light’s savior, was gone.


	2. Not this time, Dumbledore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! I'm really hoping to get out about one chapter a week, so wish me luck. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Two: Not This Time, Dumbledore

Thump, thump, thump.

Harry awoke to hear a strange, echoing thump above his head. He brought his hands up to rub at his eyes, groaning at the soreness in his limbs. He slowly opened his eyes, confused at the darkness of the room he found himself in.

The last he remembered, he was in the auror training room, after Ginny, fucking Ginny, cheated on him. But now? he had no clue.

“Harry! Get UP! It’s Dudder’s birthday and I won’t have you ruining it!” An all too familiar voice screeched from the other side of the door.

Harry sat up slowly, if that’s Aunt Petunia… then that thumping was Dudley’s fat ass walking down the stairs.

No fucking way.

No fucking way.

He slowly opened the door of his cupboard, hoping that the reality he saw around him would change at some point. But it didn’t. In the light of the hallway, he looked down and saw his skinny frame draped in Dudley’s cast offs. He really was back, and had no clue how he got there. Shit.

What had happened? He had heard stories of time travel before, but nothing like this. Minutes, yes. Years? Not bloody likely. Deciding that if fate was going to screw with him this badly, he might as well have some fun, Harry made his way down the hallway.

He walked into the kitchen slowly, staring blankly at his fat walrus of an uncle. 

“What are you looking at, boy? Get to work!” Vernon spat, barely looking up from his paper. 

“No…” Harry whispered, damnit, if he was going to have to go through the misery of his years at Hogwarts, he was going to do it his way. and that meant he wasn't going to deal with the bullshit his family put him through. He especially wasn’t going to deal with the bullshit Dumbledore put him through. 

This time, he knew about the titles he inherited, and the power that came with it.

This time, he was going to do things the way he wished he had the first time.

“What did you just say to me?” Vernon ground out, the vein in his forehead beginning to pulse. 

“I said, ‘No,’” Harry replied, making eye conduct with the walrus for the first time. His magic once again began to swirl around him, but this time, he meant for it to. Because, although he now found himself back in his eleven-year old body, he had retained the magical experience he gained during the war.  
“Recently, dear Uncle, I decided that I had enough of your abuse. So, in short, fuck you, your horse-faced wife, and your fat ass of a son,” Harry said in a matter-of-fact manner, enjoying the purpling of Vernon’s face.

As his Uncle began spluttering, Harry turned and left the kitchen, roughly brushing past Dudley on the way.

On his way out, he heard Petunia calling for him, but he ignored her. Instead continuing to the road, intent on getting as far away as possible from the hell that was No. 4 Privet Drive.

Harry soon made it to the dilapidated playground at the center of his neighborhood, and, calling his magic to him, apparated to the Leaky Cauldron. 

As he arrived, he glanced around to ensure he remained unnoticed, satisfied that no one was giving him any excessive attention, he continued on, brushing his hair over to cover his scar.

Harry walked briskly towards Gringotts, thankful that not many people were out in the alley this early on a Tuesday. Walking up the steps to the goblin-run bank, he squared his shoulders, mentally preparing himself to face the creatures.

Entering the bank, he immediately walked up to the head goblin.

“May your gold multiply, and your enemies fall at your feet,” He said, sharply nodding his head.

Giving him an assessing look, the goblin replied in kind, “To you as well… Mr. Potter. How may Gringotts be of assistance?”

“I would like to speak to my account manager, as soon as possible, please.”

“Very well,” Motioning to another goblin, he dismissed him, “Please follow Ironhook, he will show you the way.”

Nodding his thanks, Harry followed the goblin to a rather plush office.

Entering the room, he immediately took note of the rather large and intimidating goblin guards that flanked the desk.

Bowing slightly, he said, “May your wealth be unequalled, and your enemies flee before you.”

“Indeed, to you as well, Mr. Potter,” The aged goblin began, “Griptooth, at your service.”

Nodding his thanks, Harry began, “First of all, I am aware that, through no fault of your own, individuals, namely Albus Dumbledore, the vast majority of the Weasley family, and the Dursley family, have been pilfering money from my vaults for approximately the last decade,” Here, he ignored the shocked looks he received, and continued on, ”Secondly, I would like to invoke the writ of contumia puer, and claim the titles I am set to inherit. Finally, I would like to undergo the lineage ritual, in order to claim any and all inheritance.”

“Now, Mr. Potter, you must understand that in order for the writ of contumia puer to be invoked, you must have some proof. After all, these are rather serious accusations, with rather serious repercussions,” Griptooth replied. 

“I can assure you that a simple scan of both my physical and magical well-being will support my claims.”

“Very well then,” At this the goblin motioned for Harry to follow one of the guards. Upon doing so, he found himself in a room quite similar to a muggle school’s nurse’s office.

The goblin healer, Steelfang, quickly ran a multitude of tests on him, becoming increasingly infuriated as they indicated a past of violent abuse. Once these findings were reported, he was taken back to Griptooth’s office.

“It seems as though you do qualify for emancipation through the writ, Mr. Potter, or should i say, Lord Potter,” Griptooth said, with a rather vicious smirk. He was glad that someone was finally telling Dumbledore how the cow ate the cabbage, especially as the one doing so was meant to be the ‘Light’s Savior.’ 

After a quick nod from Griptooth, another goblin brought in a clear crystal goblet, with ancient runic symbols engraved around the rim. 

“Lord Potter, please use this dagger to cut your left hand, and fill the goblet to the bottom of the runic circle. Once your blood turns silver, place the quill into the goblet, before setting it on the parchment.”

Nodding his understanding, Harry took the dagger and sliced open his palm, wincing slightly at the sting of the blade. As soon as the goblet was full, Harry allowed his magic to seep out and heal the wound. After about a minute, his blood turned silver, and he placed the quill into it, watching in fascination as it absorbed all of the fluid. He then placed it onto the parchment, where it quickly began to list all of the titles he was due to inherit. 

Lordships:  
Potter (by blood)  
Black (Interim, by blood magic)  
Riddle (by conquest)  
Slytherin (by conquest and blood)  
Peverell (by blood)  
Gryfindor (by blood)

Properties:  
Godric’s Hollow Cottage  
Potter Manor, Cardiff, England  
Potter Estate, Manchester, England  
No. Twelve, Grimmauld Place, London, England  
Black Manor, Nottingham, England  
Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton, England  
Slytherin Castle, Durham, England  
Slytherin Manor, Bournemouth, England  
Peverell Estate, Edinburgh, England  
Gryfindor Castle, Durham, England  
Gryfindor Estate, Hull, England  
Hogwarts Castle, 50% share

Harry looked up from the parchment to find Griptooth, gaping at him, shocked at the amount of power held by someone so young. He was further surprised by the expression on the young Lord’s face, Harry didn't appear at all shocked, rather, he seemed more smug, as though he was told something he already knew.

Indeed, that was the case. Harry had undergone this same ritual many years before, in his original timeline, and the results had remained the same. The only surprise was that he was still the heir to both Riddle and Slytherin, as he assumed he hadn't truly conquered Voldemort until the second time he was vanquished. Not that it truly mattered, he wasn't planning on doing any sort of vanquishing this time around.

Clearing his throat, Griptooth began to speak, “Well, Lord Potter, if you would like, I can provide you with the Lord rings for each of your houses. They should resize to fit you, and a few, like Gryfindor and Slytherin, should combine into one.”

“That would be excellent.”

At that, the goblin summoned a small wooden box, and pulled six rings from it.

The first, the Potter ring, was made of what appeared to be gold, and bore two lions, encircled by bay leaves.

The Black ring was made of a dark colored metal that resembled pewter, that was engraved with an eagle clutching a cypress branch.

The Riddle ring was obviously muggle in nature, as it bore obvious signs of wear. It was made of silver, with the engraved stag barely visible.

The Slytherin ring was stunning, it’s silver band was encrusted with minute emeralds, and the snake that coiled around it was in constant motion, as it climbed around the oak branch engraved next to it.

The Peverell ring was rather mundane in comparison, it was made from gold, and was engraved with two bears supporting what Harry now knew to be the symbol for the deathly hallows.

The Gryfindor ring was the only one that could compete with the lavish nature of the Slytherin ring. It was made of rather ornately carved gold, and the roaring lion held a large ruby in its mouth, small topaz jewels dotted its mane, making it appear as though it was glowing.

Harry leaned over the desk and grabbed the rings, before putting them on. He put the Potter and Black rings on his right ring finger, smiling as they combined into one before resizing to fit him. The pewter and gold swirled together, the image shifting to depict a lion and eagle, each holding a sprig of cypress, and a sprig of bay leaves. 

He then put the Slytherin ring on his right middle finger, and the Gryfindor ring on his left middle finger. The Peverell ring joined the Gryfindor ring on his left hand, on his ring finger. Finally, he put the Riddle ring on his right pointer finger.

In the past, he had hidden his rings, enabling the innate invisibility charm, but now, he was ready to let the world see just how much power he truly held. 

He left the goblins after collecting a small satchel of gold, and headed into the main section of the alley.

Harry headed towards Knockturn Alley, standing straight and ignoring the looks thrown his way. 

Once he entered the alley, he headed towards a shop he had shut down when he was an auror. It bordered the line between light and dark magic, and for that reason, the ministry had banned it. In the past, Harry would've frowned upon any magic that even hinted at being gray, but now, he was grateful he remembered where it was.

The shop was called “Mystical Mutations” and it specialized in potions that allowed the user to change their appearance. 

He walked in, once again ignoring the looks he got, and walked directly to the man behind the register. 

“I need a potion that can reverse years of malnourishment and abuse. Can you help me?” Harry said quickly, not at all in the mood for vague statements and pleasantries.

Giving him a brisk nod, the man led him to a nearby shelf, and gestured at a row near the bottom. Nodding his thanks, Harry knelt down and searched for the correct potion.

By the time he returned to the register, he carried with him 16 galleons worth of potions, including ones to correct the abuse of the Dursley’s, fix his eyesight, and fade his scar until it was barely noticeable.

After paying, he took his time walking back towards the Leaky Cauldron, taking the time to think about the changes he had experienced all in one day.

He certainly didn't regret the chance to do it all again, many times had he wished he would've told Dumbledore exactly where he, and his bloody order of the phoenix, could sick it. And, if he was really being honest with himself, he had always felt a draw towards the darker side of magic. When he first attempted to use the cruciatus curse on Bellatrix back in fifth year, he had felt an almost undeniable pull on his core. It seemed as though now he would get the chance to explore the pull.

Of course, he would miss his kids. He could already feel the ache of sorrow at the thought of them. But, then again, by transporting himself into the past, he avoided both the headache and heartache of dealing with Ginny. And perhaps, someday, he would see his children again, in whatever realm existed beyond this one.

He was further excited at the possibility of romantic interests beyond the red-head, after all, she was the only true lover he had ever had, and it was hard to deny the attraction he had felt towards certain members of his own gender.

Indeed, it seemed as though this whole back in time thing may have its benefits.

Arriving at the inn, Harry booked a room to stay until school started. And, as he lay in bed, Harry became increasingly excited to board the Hogwart’s express once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For reference, contumia puer, loosely translated, means "mistreatment of a child." Hopefully. I've only taken a few high school level latin classes so that's the best I've got!


	3. The Handshake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK FOREVER TO UPDATE!!! COLLEGE SUCKS. in other news, I made a twitter! So y'all can ask me questions and vote in polls to influence the story! It's @sirisnuffles, follow me!

Chapter Three: The Handshake

Harry was becoming increasingly optimistic about the situation he found himself in. He had awoken that morning to an owl from Gringotts tapping on the window of his room at the Leaky Cauldron, and was thrilled to read the note it carried.

Lord Potter-Black-Riddle-Slytherin-Peverel-Gryffindor,

Upon further investigation, we were able to substantiate your claims of the crimes committed by Albus Dumbledore, the Weasley family, and the Dursley family. Our investigators found that, in total, a sum of 1,300,570 galleons were stolen directly from your vault.

Rest assured, we will ensure proper repayment, with interest.

May your gold flow eternally,  
Griptooth

Although it had only been a few days, everything was going perfectly. And it was about to get even better. Now that the exhaustion from the previous day had subsided, he was ready to take the potions he had procured the day before.

The first was rather simple, it was designed to reverse any signs of physical abuse or neglect, and required only a drop of his blood. Harry added the necessary amount, and watched the potion as it changed from black to clear, looking almost like water.

He swallowed it in one go, grimacing at the taste. Definitely worse than water. He fell to his knees, pain coursing through his body as his bones lengthened and gained strength. Harry arched his back, biting his lip as, with a last burst of pain, the potion finished its work. 

Harry stood slowly, as he had gained nearly three inches in height, and felt more than a little unsteady.

Staggering to the bathroom mirror, he grasped the sink and inspected his new reflection. His cheekbones still protruded, but now that was simply due to the shape of his face, rather than his lack of body mass. His shoulders were broader as well, but they fit his new height of about five foot. Although he wasn't as tall as he would have hoped, he was at least a bit over average, as opposed to his four foot seven height of a few minutes ago. All in all, it appeared as though he was an average eleven year old, he no longer looked closer to eight.

The next potion, to correct his eyesight, was a bit more complex. It required almost three ounces of blood, and two strands of hair. However the results were well worth it, as not five minutes later, he was able to take off his glasses for good.

The last potion was, in Harry’s opinion, the best. That also meant, however, that it required the biggest sacrifice. A chunk of flesh. 

Grimacing, Harry took the knife he had saved from his supper the night before, and gouged a one inch sliver from his thigh. Trying to ignore the pain as best as he could, he allowed his magic to heal the wound. It left a small indent in his leg, but he felt it was worth it.

He dropped the flesh in the potion, and drank it quickly. He immediately ran to the mirror, watching in amazement as his lightning bolt scar faded until it was a barely visible silvery line, rather than the vibrant red it previously was.

Smiling satisfaction, Harry got dressed and headed into the alley to shop for a new wardrobe. It was time he began to look like the Lord he was.

—————

Harry spent most of his days leading up to September first in this manner, he spent nearly 2,000 galleons on school supplies, a new wardrobe, and various books. He was able to prevent Hagrid from showing up by using his owl to reply.

That was one thing he was unhappy about, although he had searched the alley extensively, he had been unable of find the owl that was Hedwig in his previous life. However he had found a beautiful charcoal gray owl with vibrant caramel eyes, which he had promptly named Adrestia, after the goddess of revenge. He felt it was fitting.

In the same pet shop he had found a bright yellow and black python, hissing angrily in it’s cage. After ten minutes of negotiations, he had convinced the snake, who he named Kratos, to join him as his familiar.

Now though, the day had arrived, and he summoned the knight bus with his new wand. Unlike last time, he had gone to an artisan wand maker, and had his custom made.

It was thirteen and one-eighth inches long, made of aspen, and quite unyielding. The core was unusual, a combination of dragon heartstring and basilisk venom. The shaft was carved to look as though a snake was curled around the handle, and it held a ruby between its fangs at the end of the wand. All in all, he had never felt more powerful.

Harry arrived at the station thirty minutes before the express was due to depart, and took the time to find an empty compartment and unshrink his trunk.

Kratos peeked his head out from Harry’s collar, asking, ~ Are we there yet, human?~

~ Not quite, we just boarded the train. I will let you know when you can come out,~ Harry replied, chuckling, he pushed Kratos’s head back down. He didn't want anyone to suspect his true nature until the sorting.

As if on cue, the door slid open, and a red-headed nuisance looked in, “Mind if I sit here? All the other compartments are taken…”

Smiling, Harry replied, “Sure, c’mon in!”

He had given the matter of Ron Weasley extensive thought over the past few days, and had decided to lead the red head on for a bit. Harry decided that he would be nice to Ron, make him think that they were on track to becoming best mates, and then betray him by joining the house of the snakes. This wouldn't be the end of his revenge by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a good start. He was here to have fun, after all. 

The train ride was tedious, to say the least.

Harry had to answer a ridiculous amount of questions, both from Ron and Hermione, in this timeline she had stayed in the compartment with them after she came looking for Neville’s toad. Apparently hearing Harry answering Ron’s questions had been enough to trigger her bookworm like tendencies, and Harry was her next topic of study.

It soon became apparent that they were only interested in “Harry the celebrity,” not “Harry the eleven year old.”

Their questions were primarily things like, “Why are you wearing so many rings? You must be pretty rich then, huh?”, “Where is your scar?”, “Do you remember anything about it?”, and other senseless nattering. Harry couldn't quite comprehend how he put up with them in his first life. Desperation, he supposed. Although he answered each question with a smile, he became increasingly resolved to do something to make them regret their behavior.

Soon they arrived at Hogwarts, and Harry disembarked the train eagerly, heading towards Hagrid as he heard the familiar call of, “Firs’ years! All tha firs’ years, this way!”

“C’mon mate, let’s share a boat!” Harry called to Ron, smiling a bit more genuinely now that the end of their inane conversation was approaching.

Ron and Harry shared a boat with Seamus and Dean, all of whom gaped at the castle as they approached. Harry merely grinned, he was finally home. 

Entering the hall, he followed his year-mates to where Professor McGonagall stood.

“Welcome to Hogwarts,” she began, “As we enter the hall, you will be sorted…” Harry quickly tuned her out, more focused on plotting the first portion of his revenge, all of which started with a certain blonde: Draco Malfoy.

“Now, I suggest you smarten yourselves up as you wait, I will fetch you when we are ready for you,” at this she turned and walked into the great hall.

Ron began to murmur anxious guesses about how they would be sorted, but Harry ignored him, instead focusing on Draco Malfoy’s white-blonde hair as it moved through the crowd towards him. This was his chance.

“So, Harry Potter has finally come to Hogwarts… I’m Draco, Draco Malfoy.”

Ron sniggered beside him, but Harry ignored it, instead replying directly to Draco.

“Pleased to meet you. I did wonder if Hogwarts would have any proper purebloods, you know, ones that aren't filthy blood traitors,” here, he glanced at Ron, pleased to see him gaping, open-mouthed and confused.

Chuckling, Draco replied, “I am sure I can help you there, then. I do think we shall end up being rather good friends, Harry.”

He held out his hand, and, much to the continued astonishment of those around him, Harry, grinning, shook it.

He had spent a lifetime aiding and rebuilding the Light, he couldn't wait to destroy it.

Side by side, Harry and Draco followed their peers into the Great Hall.

The sorting went the exact same as it had the previous time around, until McGonagall called, “Harry Potter!”

The crowd went dead silent, gazing at the infamous eleven year old. Slowly, the murmuring resumed.

“Did you see that?! He’s got Lordship rings!”

“How?? He’s just a kid!”

Echoes of this conversation were heard around the Hall, causing a grin to blossom on Harry’s face. Finally, attention he actually wanted.

Reaching the stool, he placed the hat on his head, “Ah, Mr. Harry Potter…” the hat began,”It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“Why am I not surprised that you can tell?” Harry questioned mentally.

“It’s all here, in your head! Your past… Present… And, very interesting, your plans for the future are quite, well, revolutionary. Now, before we talk for to long, Slytherin this time, to match your rather ambitious plans?”

“Yes, please.”

“Very well, SLYTHERIN!”

This last word was yelled aloud to the hall, and a deafening silence followed it. Then, as though someone had flipped a switch, the Slytherin table began to applaud rather loudly, while the rest of the room watched in shock.

Smirking, Harry walked over to the table, allowing Kratos to begin roaming over his shoulders. To the Slytherins, this was an excellent sign, to Dumbledore, it was the first sign that something was terribly, horribly, wrong.

As Harry reached the table, he sat between Draco and Theodore Nott, waving to his new housemates, and enjoying the expression of the red-headed idiot. 

Yes, this year was off to a great start.

—————

After the feast, Harry and the rest of the first years followed the prefects back to the common room.

Reaching the dungeons, Harry was ecstatic to realize that the portrait guarding the entrance was none other than Salazar Slytherin himself. It was time to assert his leadership over Slytherin house.

As the prefects begin to lecture the first years on the importance of keeping the password a secret, Harry slowly brought his hand, the one which bore the Slytherin ring, up to brush aside his hair. 

Sure enough, the portrait noticed his movement, and his ring.

“Good Merlin… My heir has returned to Hogwarts!” Salazar exclaimed, looking at Harry with shocked eyes.

Ignoring the astonishment of those around him, Harry replied, “Indeed I have, it is nice to finally meet you,” here he paused, and continued in parseltongue, ~ I look forward to discovering your chamber. ~, he chuckled.

“Ha! Finally someone who is ambitious as I… I wish you well, young one,” Salazar smiled at Harry, and turned to face the gaping crowd, “Now, password?”

“F-F-Fidelis…” One of the prefects stuttered out, shocked at discovering not only Slytherins heir, but a parseltongue as well.

Once they entered the room, Harry, Draco, Theo, Blaise, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle, all gathered on a group of clustered chairs near the fire, and the front of the room. Harry assumed, quite correctly, that this was a sign of his newfound status.

“Why didn't you tell me you were Slytherin’s heir?! Or a parseltongue?!?” Draco exclaimed, looking quite indignant, despite only knowing harry for an hour and a half at most.

“I’m a Slytherin, Draco, by blood and by sorting. I should think I’m entitled to some secrets, especially from someone I had just met, hmm?” Harry replied, smirking.

Pansy erupted into fake laughter, clearly intending on trying to foster a relationship with him. Theo and Blaise, however, chuckled a bit more sincerely. 

Draco merely fake pouted, before grinning as he too realized the absurdity of his question.

Harry shook his head, still smiling, “We should get to bed, early day tomorrow, eh?”  
The group nodded in agreement, before going their separate ways into the dorms.

The rooms were significantly nicer than the Gryffindor dorms, undoubtedly due to the donations of Slytherin parents. The walls were papered in a deep emerald shade, concealing the barren stone of the dungeons. Thick crown molding bordered each wall, and the windows that looked out into the lake were shrouded in thick emerald velvet.

Six beds lined the walls, two beds per wall, with one wall devoted to the door to the shared bathrooms. Each four poster bed was made of deep mahogany wood, cloaked with dark grey curtains and bedding. 

Their trunks were at the foot of each bed, and, to Harry’s excitement, his bed shared a wall with Draco’s. Blaise was next to Theo, and Vincent was next to Greg.

They quickly settled in for the night, each drifting to sleep happily, glad to finally be at Hogwarts after years of anticipation.

—————

The next morning, Harry was woken up by his curtains being pulled aside and Draco excitedly exclaiming that it was the first day of school.

He groaned, and reluctantly began to get ready when he saw Draco wouldn't allow him to sleep any longer. He grinned at the antics of the first year boy, amused at the side of Draco he hadn't seen in his previous lifetime.

They ate breakfast impossibly quickly, anxious to get to their first class of the day; potions with the Gryffindor’s. 

Things were about to get interesting.


	4. Let's Get Started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta-da! Another chapter! This one was pretty fun to write, not gonna lie, I love some good Weasley bashing.
> 
> The results from the first poll I ran on twitter show up in this chapter, so don't forget to follow me @sirisnuffles to influence the story!
> 
> Enjoy!

Part Four: Let’s Get Started.

As the group of Slytherins walked to potions, they chattered happily, Harry, however, was distracted, thinking about the various ways he could antagonize the Gryffindors; living with them for almost seven years had given him quite the insight to their various weaknesses.

Draco’s voice cut sharply though his musings, “Well, well, well… What do we have here? It seems as though some lions have wandered into the snakes den,” the Slytherins around him laughed uproariously, while Harry merely smirked a bit and chuckled.

Weasley immediately turned red, the flush on his cheeks rapidly spreading down his neck, as the Gryffindors around him glared at the group of Slytherins.

“Leave us the hell alone, Malfoy,” Weasley blustered out, his signature read-head temper already showing. This was almost too easy.

“Now, now, language Weasley. What would dearest mummy think? Or is she too busy with the rest of the brood to even worry about you?” His group of Slytherins laughed around him, but Harry was too focused on the purpling on Weasley’s face.

“Leave him alone, Potter! You too, Malfoy,” Granger had pushed her way to the front of the group, apparently gathering all of her Gryffindor bravery, and was now glaring at them, arms crossed.

“As if we care what you have to say, you stupid little mudblood,” Harry replied, channeling the very real dislike he had felt for her later in his last lifetime into the glare he now directed at her.

“You’re one to talk! Your mother was a muggle-born too!” Weasley exclaimed, looking proud to have finally come up with a sound argument.

Harry stepped dangerously close to him then, it was one thing to insult him, but another to insult his lineage. Unsheathing his wand, he pushed it under Weasley’s chin, forcing them to maintain eye contact.

“I would watch what I say, if I were you, Weasley. My mother was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin himself, she was worth far more than that pathetic witch you call a muggle-born.”

Withdrawing his wand had apparently been the unspoken signal for an escalation, as one of smarter of the bunch shot a tickling hex at him. Harry blocked it with a wave, barely acknowledging the mediocre effort.

This blatant display of silent and wandless magic elicited a gasp from his fellow classmates, but he hardly noticed, too busy maintaining eye contact with the Weasel in order to emphasize his point.

Before the situation could escalate further, Snape swept by, opening the door and gesturing them all in.

There were various mumblings from the Gryffindors, complaining about Snape’s apparent refusal to acknowledge Harry’s blatant rule breaking. Harry himself merely smirked, glad to finally be on the receiving end of Snape’s infamous Slytherin prejudice.

The class went much the same as it had in his previous lifetime, only this go around Snape directed his questioning at the still red-faced Weasley.

For the majority of the class, in fact, Harry was largely ignored by Snape, almost as though the man couldn't bare to treat him as favorably as the other Slytherins, but couldn't truly treat him as a brainless Gryffindor.

Regardless, at the end of class Slytherin was up 45 points, and Gryffindor was down 30.

All in all, Harry counted it as a success.

—————

 

The rest of the morning was rather uneventful, as they had no more shared classes with the Lions. The peace, however, was shattered at lunch.

Harry was sitting in the middle of the table, a place of relative honor that he was awarded due to his status as Slytherin’s heir. His back was to the wall, and he faced out towards the rest of the room. Draco was to his right, and Pansy his left. Vince sat next to Draco, with Greg across from him. Theo was across from Harry, with Blaise next to him.

Pansy had the best view of the Gryffindor table, and as such, she was the first to notice Weasley standing. 

“Look,” she whispered, leaning into Harry’s shoulder to get his attention. When he looked up, he noticed Weasley, Thomas, and Finnegan making their way to him.

Looking up to the head table, he saw that Snape and McGonagall had noticed the movement as well, and were tracking the Lions movement.

Harry knew he had two options, he could either start a fight in the middle of the great hall and go down with the Gryffindors, or he could employ a bit of Slytherin cunning. 

Plan B it is.

“Potter!” Weasley blurted out, already red faced and angry before the confrontation even began, “I’m here to challenge you to a wizards duel, midnight, in the trophy room! Dean is my second.”

Draco began to reply, undoubtedly ready to accept the foolish challenge, before Harry silenced him with a look.

“Weasley, why on earth would I want to do that? You do know Gryffindors are the stupid ones, don't you? Not the Slytherins?” Harry taunted, hopefully this would be enough to get Weasley to draw his wand, as one glance to the head table showed Snape was on his way.

Sure enough, the red-head pulled out his wand, going almost purple with indignation.

“I think that will be, let’s see… 20 points from Gryffindor,” Snape drawled out silkily, starting the Gryffindors with his sudden appearance, “There will be no foolish dueling at lunch time, Mr. Weasley.”

With a glare, he sent the ‘brave’ lions scurrying back to their table, and swept away from the Slytherins, casting a scrutinizing glance at Harry as he did.

He would have to deal with Snape sooner rather than later, he thought to himself, the man would surely prove to be a formidable ally.

—————

The only other interesting spot of the day was Defense Against the Dark Arts, where Harry stared in undisguised fascination at Quirrel’s turban, which he knew concealed the Dark Lord.

He hadn't yet determined what to do with Voldemort, as this time around they had rather similar goals.

In his first life, Harry had hated everything that Voldemort stood for, after all, who would support the senseless murder of muggles and estrangement of muggle borns? 

However once he became an auror, he was able to begin to see the reason for his prejudice. Harry had been witness to a staggering amount of cases in which muggle borns had nearly exposed the entirety of the wizarding world, posing an enormous risk to the security of all magical people.

He’d further seen at least a hundred cases of abuse, not within wizarding families, no, within muggle ones. There were all too many cases similar to his own, where magical children grew up hated and beaten by their own families. 

As an optimistic twenty-something year old, he had thought the solution was simple; remove the children at birth and obliviate the families. But then, he had stumbled upon the ancient writings of Salazar Slytherin.

They were written in parseltongue, and as such, could only be read my Slytherin’s true heir. They detailed years and years of research and experiments, and the results had shocked him.

Essentially, Slytherin had discovered that all pure-blooded witches and wizards pulled their powers from the earth itself, and were gifted access to this magic at birth, from whom many considered to be the mother of magic, Morgana. 

However, this magic was limited, and could only be utilized by a certain amount of people. So, every time a muggle born received this precious gift instead of the pure blood it was destined for, a family would die out. 

They may have so many generations of squibs that magic becomes merely a fairy tale once told by great grandparents, or simply be unable to conceive any heirs at all.

After this discovery, Slytherin began to hate muggle borns for the crime they committed at birth, and Harry began to understand Voldemort’s motivations.

However, he still didn’t necessarily agree with his methods. He supposed he would have to simply try to negotiate with the Dark Lord, and, if all else failed, become the Dark Lord himself.

Dark Lord Potter, that does have a nice ring to it…

—————

After dinner in the Great Hall, during which Harry was the recipient of more than one glare from the Weasel and his friends, he decided it was time to make his move on Snape.

There was a door directly across from the Slytherin common room entrance, which Salazar had informed him lead to the private rooms of the potions master. So, after dinner, as all the other Slytherins headed back to the common room, Harry stayed behind, on the pretense of talking to his many times great-grandfather. 

In reality, however, they only spoke long enough for Harry to ascertain Snape’s password.

With his wand, he tapped twice on the brick directly above the door handle, and, after a muttered “Semper,” pulled the door open.

Entering, he was pleased to find the room still empty, eager as he was for his presence to be a surprise to Snape.

In the room, there was a low couch settled before a fireplace, and adjacent to it, was matching armchair. Both looked surprisingly comfy, and were upholstered in a dark green leather which bore a striking resemblance to dragon hide. In the center of the space between the fireplace and couch was a simple darkly colored wood coffee table. 

The rest of the room held a desk, which, despite it being the first day of the school year, was already stacked high with papers, and a door which presumably led to the man’s bedroom.

Harry walked over to the armchair and sprawled out on it, resting his feet on the gleaming surface of the coffee table in front of him. 

He grabbed a book from the table, ‘A Potions Master’s Guide to Ensaring the Senses,’ and flipped through it idly, biding his time until Snape arrived.

Twenty minutes was spent in this manner, before the door opened to reveal a rather irritated looking Snape. Upon spotting Harry, a look of shock marred the man’s face, before it was swiftly concealed beneath a mask of cool indifference.

“Mr. Potter,” he snarled out, “Despite any claims you may make to your inheritance, you do not have access to any part of the castle the you wish. Now, I suggest you leave before some rather unpleasant consequences make themselves known. “

Harry merely smiled winningly at the man, and replied, “Now now Severus, thats no way to speak to your superiors, now is it?” With a wave of his hand, Snape was bound to a hastily conjured chair, and spelled silent as he started to protest. 

Harry stood and began to pace around him, ignoring the murderous glares thrown his way.

“I know many things about you, Severus… Your past... Your present… And, dare I say, your future. You had quite the infatuation with my mother, at one point, did you not?” At this, Snape stopped struggling against his bonds, interested, now, in what the boy was saying.

“But, alas! The feelings were not returned. And while she married James Potter, you became a death eater.” Snape looked frightened, now, at the thought of what other information the boy could know.

“I know you loved it, Snape, I know you loved the screams of the muggles as they fell under your wand… I know that you loved every single raid you attended, every look of fear you inspired… I know that you told Voldemort of the prophecy that led to my parents death,” Harry paused for a moment, to regain some semblance of control over the magic that had been steadily seeping out of him.

“So, Severus, I have a proposal…” Harry began, kneeling in front of the man, “You renounce Voldemort, and Dumbledore, and I’ll keep this information to myself. Now our deal can stop there, if you so wish, or, you can join me, and I’ll spare your life as well,” Harry ran the tip of his wand down the mans face, to his throat, and pressed it in enough to inhibit the man’s breathing.

Instead of killing him, as he so desperately wished, he simply released the spells he had put upon him. At this, Snape finally looked up at him, green and black locking. 

“I think my response is rather obvious, My Lord.”


	5. Fluffy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my longest chapter yet!! Enjoy!
> 
> I also made a Tumblr ( @sirisnuffles )!! So follow me there if you want! I'll be posting updates and reblogging inspiration for the story!
> 
> I also have a twitter at the same username!

Chapter Five: Fluffy

 

Harry and Snape spoke for hours on end regarding their newfound relationship, despite his acquiescence, it seemed as though Snape was determined to disagree with everything Harry said.

Harry was almost rethinking his decision to work with the man.

As midnight approached, however, they came to an agreement, and Snape finally swore an oath that they both agreed upon.

“I, Severus Tobias Snape, swear upon my life and magic to serve Lord Harry James in all manners which he sees fit, I will not betray his confidence unless explicitly instructed to do so, I further renounce all loyalty to any who may have previously controlled me, so mote it be,” Although he had fought it tooth and nail, he couldn't deny that it was rather cunning of Potter to make him swear it.

For the first time since the end of the war, Snape was finally serving a Lord of his choosing.

Harry smiled, glad to finally be done with the hours of negotiating. 

“Now that that’s over, we have a few more orders of business to take care of… ~Kratos,~” He hissed in parseltongue, summoning the snake from where he rested in front of the fire. He curled around Harry’s shoulders, resting his head on the teen’s collar bone.

He reached forward and grabbed Snape’s left arm, yanking back his sleeve to reveal the faint scar of his dark mark. Harry then began to chant a spell in parseltongue, one he had found years ago that was designed to remove slave marks such as this.

As he ended, there was a puff of black smoke, and the mark vanished.

Snape looked up at him, astonished, “How did you do that? Dumbledore said it was impossible…”

“You will find, Severus, that I am a great deal more powerful than that old man, and your former master,” He still hadn't let go of Snape’s arm, and now he withdrew his wand, pushing the tip of it into the base of Snape’s wrist. 

With a murmured, “ad marcam figulis,” a new mark engraved itself on Snape’s arm. It was similar to the dark mark, but instead of the skull, the snake was curled around a roaring lion.

“The beauty of this mark,” Harry began, releasing his arm, “Is that it can only be seen by those who bare it as well, and myself, of course. To anyone else, they will only see your old dark mark.”

Snape merely nodded curtly, too entranced by the new tattoo he bore. Yawning, Harry stood and stretched. With a final glance at his first recruit, he left the room, intent on heading to bed and getting some much needed rest.

That plan was foiled, however, when he got back to his dorm only to find a barely awake Draco waiting for him.

“Where have you been?! You were gone for ages!” Draco exclaimed, leaping up as soon as he spotted Harry.

The boy looked genuinely worried, and Harry felt a pang of regret that the couldn't yet tell him the whole truth. Despite their tumultuous past, Harry had begun to care for him. Since they no longer spoke solely in insults, he had been able to see the actual Draco, and not just the prat he had always thought he was. 

From his memories of he previous life, he knew that Draco had grown up to be rather fit by the end of their time at Hogwarts, although Harry knew that they were far to young for anything beyond friendship, he was excited by the potential of more in the future.

Breaking out of his musings, Harry replied, “Sorry, I got caught up with Snape, apparently he's worried that I’m ‘too Gryffindor to be a Slytherin,’ and saw fit to lecture me."

This wasn't a complete lie, as that was one of the many criticisms Snape had offered over the course of their conversation, but it certainly wasn't the whole truth, either.

Draco seemed to know this, but was apparently too tired to push the subject further.

“Okay… well, just tell me next time, yeah? Send that bloody snake of yours with a note or something.”

Chuckling, Harry nodded his agreement.

“Lets get some sleep, we’ve got transfiguration with the Gryffindors tomorrow morning and we will need all the energy we can get,” Harry said, with Draco’s agreement, they each got ready for bed and drifted off within minutes.

—————

By the end of the week, Harry was bored. 

He had learned all of these things before, and he could only feign so much interest in turning a match stick into a needle.

Consistently at the top of his class, he was surprising his teachers and angering Granger, but even her reddening face couldn't hold his interest for long.

With that in mind, he found his way to the room of requirement and began training to become an animagus. In his previous life, he had avoided it, too afraid that he would be a snake or some other “dark” creature that would expose his less-than-light leanings.

Now however, he could care less about how light or dark he appeared.

Part of him was hoping for a stag, or a grim, something to honor his father and godfather, but at the same time, he couldn't think of them without worrying that they would be ashamed at the path he was taking, and he didn't want that reminder every time he transformed.

Nonetheless, he sat on the floor of the room of requirement, trying to slip into a meditative state.

It was his only free period, and consequently the only time he could slip away from his friends.

He evened out his breathing, taking deep and allow breaths to calm himself down. As he relaxed, he could feel himself sinking lower and lower into his own mind, darkness overcoming him, shadowy shapes began to appear… as his breathing leveled out, the shadows began to morph into trees, towering above him. He felt himself settle down on to four legs, and just as he tried to catch a glance of what his feet looked like, his timer went off.

Cursing, Harry awoke and shut off the timer that the room had conjured for him. Grabbing his bag, he left to meet up with Draco and the rest of the Slytherins before their DADA class.

—————

As he rounded the corner to the defense classroom, the first thing he noticed was a group of Gryffindors, led by the red headed weasel, surrounding his group of Slytherins. Draco was at the forefront, a sneer marring his pointed face.

“Careful, Weasel, don't stand too close, I don't want your filth on my robes,” Draco drawled, affecting an expression that clearly conveyed how little he thought of the pack of lions.

“You would know all about filth, wouldn't you? What with that whore of a mother of yours,” Weasley replied, “I’m surprised you don't have more siblings, I’ve heard she gets around quite a bit.”

A flash of hurt crossed through Draco’s pale grey eyes, but he masked it before Weasley could notice. Although Draco could be as mean as anything, he was still an eleven year old boy, and some insults, especially those directed at his much loved mother, cut deep. 

Harry stepped around the corner and into the group before things could escalate further.

“I was wondering what the stench was, but now I know…” he said, eyeing Hermione pointedly, “It really is a shame that they let such low class filth into this school in the first place.”

At this she flushed, turning to hide her face behind her bushy hair.

“W-we-well, she’s twice the person you’ll ever be!” Longbottom stammered out, pudgy face red with the effort.

“Unless Granger is hiding some sort of talent in that bush she calls hair, I rather doubt it, Longbottom. You’re barely a wizard anyway, what on earth do you know?” Harry replied smirking, totally unbothered by Neville’s meagre attempt at a putdown.

The stench of garlic reached his nose then, and, sure enough, their trembling professor turned the corner seconds later.

Quirrell tremulously shuffled them into the classroom, where the Gryffindors flocked to their cluster of chosen desks that sat on the right of the room, while Slytherin mirrored them to the left.

Harry sat to Draco’s right, and couldn't help but notice the downcast expression on the boy’s face.

Inwardly seething, Harry realized two things. One, Draco was not nearly as tough as he appeared to be. Two, Weasley was going to pay for hurting the boy that Harry had begun to see as a friend.

—————

Later that night, at dinner, Harry decided to share his plan of revenge with his group of friends.

He leaned into Draco, who sat on his right, drawing the attention of Pansy, Blaise, and Theo, who all sat around him. He nodded his head slightly, giving them permission to lean in as well and hear what he said.

“I’ve been thinking, the Gryffindorks have been getting a little too brave, which means its time for us to… put them back in their place,” He said with a smirk.

At the gleeful smiles from his fellow snakes, Harry continued to describe what he had plotted during defense. By the end of the meal, they had finalized all of the details. Weasley would regret waking the sleeping dragon that was Harry.

After dinner, Harry and Draco stayed behind, walking slowly until the cluster of Gryffindors were a few feet behind them.

“I spoke to Pansy,” Draco began, “She said that she heard from Millicent that the big secret on the third floor corridor really isn't that dangerous at all, well, it’s at least no match for us,” At this point, the Gryffindor’s had fallen silent and were listening intently.

“In that case, we’ll do it tonight, at midnight,” Harry replied, affecting a self satisfied expression. 

They walked away then, satisfied that the now furiously whispering Gryffindors had taken the bait.

—————

Draco, Harry, and Theo went to the third floor at 11:30. Harry had insisted the others stayed behind so as to reduce the amount of notice they received, and the sound of Pansy’s whining was still echoing in his ears.

As they approached the door, Harry removed Kratos from his shoulders and allowed him to wild himself across a nearby suit of armor. 

“~If the red headed weasel and his lions approach, hiss and slither away, act as though you're guarding the door~,” Harry hissed to him, he hoped that the appearance of his familiar would convince the Gryffindors that he was in the room.

“~As you say, weird master…~,” He coiled himself more tightly around the armor, and placed his head so that he could see the whole of the corridor.

With Kratos in place, Harry quickly cast a disillusionment charm on the three of them, before they all hid in a nook set into the wall, completely concealing themselves from view.

As the clock neared twelve, footsteps began echoing from around the corner. Soon, the group of Gryffindors appeared.

There was three of them, Ron, Hermione, and Neville, and Harry inwardly laughed at the thought of Longbottom replacing him in the so-called ‘golden trio.’ 

When they neared, Kratos did as Harry had instructed, dropping to the ground before hissing and slithering away.

“Look!” Ron exclaimed, “Potter’s snake, that must mean he’s here.”

He then attempted to open the door, but, finding it locked, he turned pleadingly to Hermione.

With a sigh, she pulled out her wand, and, with a whispered, “alohamora,” the door swung open. The trio of lions trooped inside, foolishly closing the door behind them. After a seconds pause, their screams became clearly audible from where Harry and his friends stood.

Knowing that the noise was sure to attract Filch, Harry, Draco, and Theo ran, laughing, back to their dorms.

Once they were safely back into the Slytherin dungeon, all three boys collapsed laughing on their beds.

Still gasping with laughter, they recounted the tale of the Gryffindor’s foolish bravery to Blaise, Goyle, and Crabbe, who had been waiting up for them. 

After they had all laughed until tears were streaming down their faces, they headed to bed, well aware that the aftermath tomorrow would be even funnier.

Soon they were all peacefully asleep. Except for Harry. 

He was tossing and turning in bed, painfully aware of the blond haired boy in the bed next to his.

Just like in his last lifetime, he was rapidly becoming obsessed with Draco Malfoy, only this time, he didn't want to punch the stupid smirk off of his stupid face.

Over the past few days he had come to know the real person that Draco hid behind his cruel facade, and he couldn't help the desire to get to know him even better. That, he decided, was he weekend plans sorted.

—————

The next morning, the Gryffindor table was solemn, they were down nearly two hundred points thanks to the foolishness of three of they youngest. Two of whom were in the hospital wing with rather nasty scratches from the claws of Fluffy.

Weasley sat alone at the end of the table, apparently being shunned by the other first years for his idiocy.

All in all, Harry rather thought the plan went perfectly.

 

—————

The weekend arrived quickly, and with it, Harry’s plans for getting to know Draco.

He dragged the boy to the kitchens for lunch, on the pretext of “being tired of seeing the Gryffindor’s ugly faces,” and had the house elves prepare them a veritable feast. They took it to the shore of the lake, and ate with their backs against a big oak tree.

They ate in silence for a few moments, not accustomed to it being just the two of them, until Draco put the manners hat Narcissa had instilled in him to good use, and began a conversation. 

Soon they were talking about Quidditch, and eventually, Draco mentioned how he had learned to fly.

“See, when I was about six, my Grandfather bought me a toy broom, it only flew about a meter off the ground but Father was horrified… I think his only experience with flying also involved falling, if my mother is to be believed,” here Draco smirked, apparently envisioning the aforementioned incident, “Anyway, Mother wouldn't hear of me not knowing how to fly, so she bloody well taught me herself! Dress and all!” Their masks finally cracking, both boys devolved into laughter.

“That’s brilliant!” Harry exclaimed, wiping a mirthful tear from his eye, “I’ve got to meet your mum!”

“You should come for Christmas! There's plenty of room in the manor,” Suddenly, Draco looked sheepish, “Well, unless you would rather stay with your family… I’m sure they miss you…”

“As if! The Dursley’s are probably thrilled I’m gone, they probably wish I could stay here year round, in fact,” Harry said bitterly.

“What do you mean? Are they… bad… to you?” He asked curiously.

“Heh, you could say that… I didn't know my name wasn’t ‘boy’ or ‘freak’ for the first few years of my life, and after that I still didn't know it wasn't normal to live in a cupboard instead of a bedroom. They never fed me well, either, as soon as I messed up, it was a day in the cupboard and no food until they felt I deserved it,” Harry replied, avoiding eye contact as he realized what personal information he had just divulged.

“Harry… I’m so sorry… I didn't know.”

“Don’t worry about it, Draco, I’m used to it,” This last part was said more than a little bitterly.

Determined now, Draco replied, “Well that won't do. You're coming with me for yule, and if I have anything to say about it, for summer too.”

In lieu of a response, Harry simply leaned forward and hugged the boy who was rapidly becoming his best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also the bit about Narcissa was inspired by a headcanon from randomactsofhopelessness on tumblr! (I think, the username on the screenshot was a bit cut off :/)


End file.
